It’s challenging to find a horse owner who doesn’t also live with at least one dog. Horses and dogs are a natural combination. If you love horses, chances are you love dogs, too. Although dogs and horses can often become great friends, the danger is inherent whenever these two species come together. The sheer size of a horse, combined with its nature as a prey animal, can mean trouble for even the mellowest dog. Likewise, dogs can pose a significant danger to horses as well.
It’s natural for horses to be afraid of dogs because dogs are predators. Some horses are comfortable around dogs because they were raised with them, and also, they are not as sensitive, so the dogs don’t bother them. As we see in the video, this pitbull manages to break free from the chain and runs to attack the horse. Pitbulls were bred for bull-baiting, and if you don’t train them properly, their instinct will kick in at any given time. This dog seems frustrated because it’s in the chain, and frustration equals aggression.
To keep your dog safe around horses, it’s important to remember that horses are often afraid of dogs and will kick, bite or strike to defend themselves. A well-placed kick from a horse can cause severe injury or death. Conversely, a dog can cause damage to a horse by biting it, chasing it, or scaring it to the point where the horse injures itself trying to escape.
Some dogs have never seen a horse before, and if they are scared or nervous, they may react by chasing the horse. This can cause problems for the horse, the rider, other public members, and the dog. Proper timing is crucial to keep a dog from destructive behaviors. If the dog continues having problems adjusting to being around horses, he might not be a candidate for being around horses and might be better off staying at home.
Once dogs and horses are acclimated, it can be a joy having them together, whether you’re cleaning stalls, going for trail rides, or hunting. It’s a fantastic amount of fun to have horses and dogs together. It is great to see the looks on peoples’ faces when you have such a well-behaved dog off-leash that’s going along with the horse and to see the relationship between you, the dog, and the horse. But it takes dedication and hard work.